Automatic restoring mechanism for alarm-clock shutoffs



E. L. GORDON April M), 1951 AUTOMATIC RESTORING MECHANISM FOR ALARM CLOCK SHUTOFFS Filed Nov. 22, 1948 INVENTOR. EDWARD L. GORDON BY ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 10, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE AUTOMATIC RESTORIN G MECHANISM FOR ALARM-CLOCK SHUTOFFS Edward L. Gordon, Pittsburgh, Pa.

Application November 22, 1948, Serial No. 61,457

7 Claims. (01. 8--21.15)

This invention relates to alarm clocks and, in particular, to an attachment adapted to be incorporated in clocks of conventional or any other design, for restoring the shut-off mechanism to inoperative or on position at a predetermined marginal timeafter manual actuation thereof to efiectiveor off position, following the tripping of the alarm by the usual construction.

The average user of an alarm clock, when setting it on retiring for the night, has a definite idea as to when he wishes to arise the next moming and sets the alarm accordingly. When the alarm sounds, however, human nature being what it is, most people are tempted to shut ofi the alarm and, instead of rising immediately remain in bed for a few minutes longer. If the drowsy one succumbs to this temptation, sleep frequently again overpowers his will and intention to get up, particularly since he may not be fully awake, and he falls sound asleep, perhaps not awaking for a long time and thereby missing important appointments, being late for Work and generally getting a bad start for the day.

I have invented an alarm-clock attachment actuated by the shut-off pin of the conventional alarm mechanism, efiective to release the latter for a further operation at a predetermined marginal time after it is shut off following the initial tripping caused by the ordinary alarm-setting device. Specifically, my invention restores the shut-off pin to inoperative or on position at a definite time after it has been actuated to stop the alarm on the first sounding thereof. I also provide means for adjusting in advance the time elapsing between the first sounding of the alarm and the second. This permits the user to lie abed for a pre-selected marginal time, say 15,- 20, 30 minutes or even longer beyond the time at which he originally hoped to rise, merely by shutting off the alarm when it first sounds, without the danger that sleep will be prolonged indefinitely and plans for the day be seriously disrupted.

In a preferred embodiment, I provide a rack mounted for reciprocation by the shut-off pin and movable angularly for engagement with the pinion on the minute-hand shaft which drives the hour-hand train and the ordinary alarm-tripping mechanism. Thu when the shut-off pin is actuated to stop the alarm on its first ringing, the rack is engaged and, after a predetermined marginal time, it restores the pin to on or ringing position thereby permitting the alarm to resume ringing. The marginal time between the first alarm and the second depends on the extent of movement of the rack and I provide an adjustable stop whereby the margin of time may be preselected. After the second alarm, further operation of the shut-off pin will again bring the rack into engagement with the pinion for a further delayed ringing, if desired. I also provide means for disengaging the rack from the pinion to prevent further repeated ringing after the sleeper finally arises.

A complete understanding of the invention may be obtained from the following detailed description and explanation which refer to the ac companying drawings illustrating the present preferred embodiment. In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a section through an alarm clock of conventional type, on a plane parallel to' but behind the fac'e, showing the invention incorporated therein;

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the first stage in the operation of the rack as the shut-01f pin is initially depressed;

Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the final position of the shut-off pin and rack;

Fig. 4 is a similar view showing the effect of the rack-disengaging means; and

Fig. 5 is a partial elevation of the back of the clock showing a pointer and scale for setting the marginal time.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, a clock 10 comprises a case II and a movement or Works 12 of conventional construction including an alarm mechanism having an oscillatable hammer or striker 13 adapted to engage a bell, gong or part of the case mounted to serve the same purpose. The details of these parts are well known and therefore require no further description. The works l2 includes a pinion 14 on the minutehand shaft which turns constantly in the clock- Wise direction as viewed in the drawings.

My invention concerns particularly the shutoff mechanism for the hammer l3 and means for restoring it to inoperative or on position upon the lapse of a predetermined marginal time after it has been actuated on the ringing of the alarm in the ordinary manner at the time for which it was set in advance. To this end, a shut-01f pin I5 is slidable in a bushing l6 set in the circumferential wall of the case H. The pin has a disc I! at the upper end enclosed in a hollow button l8 slidable on the pin. A compression spring [9 inside the button normally urges it upwardly from the disc 11, to the extent permitted by an inturned flange l8a on the button extending under the periphery of the disc.

A rack 20 having teeth 2| adapted to mesh with the pinion 14 when the rack is depressed,

is pivoted at 22 on the lower end of the pin I5. The rack has an angularly disposed finger 23 through which the pivot pin extends. This finger serves when the rack is depressed to engage the hammer H to arrest it and thus prevent further ringing of the alarm. The buttonl8 has a stem 24 extending downwardly therefrom through the wall of the case H into engagement with the finger 23. The rack 20 is slidably mounted on the frame of the works I2 for reciprocatory and angular movement by retaining pins 25. A leaf spring 26 normally urges the lower end of the rack toward the pinion l4.

Fig. 1 shows the parts in the positions they occupy when the alarm has been set and the shut-ofi pin retracted to permit ringing at the selected time. The normal alarm control of the clock prevents operation of the hammer. under these conditions and the teeth 21 on the rack are out of mesh with the pinion I l. Nothing happens, therefore, until the arrival of the time at which the. alarm is set to ring. At that time, the hammer is released by the ordinary alarmcontrol mechanism and the sleeper, on awakening, reaches for the button l8 and pushes it down, usually with considerable force, as a result of his irritation on being awakened. The bushing It is made to fit the pin snugly and afford sufficient friction so that the downward push on the button 58 first compresses the spring 19 whereby downward movement of the post 24 relative to pin [5 causes the rack to swing clockwise as shown in Fig. 2. When the spring has been fully compressed, further downward movement of the button will slide the pin and the rack bodily downward and leave them in the positions shown in Fig. 3 when the button is released, spring 25 serving to swing the rack counshut-off pin will be raised to the positions shown in Fig. l whereupon the hammer l3 will again be released for further ringing. If the sleeper wishes to take another additional nap, all he has to do is to depress the shut-off pin once more thus causing, a repetition of the entire cycle as just described. When he finally decides to arise, he pushes a knob 2'! on a rod 28 which extends through the wall of the case ll, being slidably mounted on the frame of the works [2 by guides 29. A head 30 on the rod is adapted to engage the rack and push it clockwise'against the force of spring 26 until it no longer meshes with pinion It, as shown in Fig. l. The rod 28 passes through a friction bushing Si in the wall of the case, similar to that shown at Hi, the friction afforded th reby being sufficient to hold the rack continuously out of engagement with the pinion, against the force exerted by spring 28.

The marginal time between the first and second ringing of the alarm depends on the time required to raise the rack and release the hammer -13. This in turn is determined by the extent to which the rack is depressed. For controlling this time, I provide an adjustable stop in the form of a block 32 slidably mounted on the works frame by guide pins 3.3 in such position as to be engaged by a knob or protuberance 34 at the lower end of the rack. Fig. 3 shows how the stop block 32 limits downward movement of the rack. The block is adjusted vertically by a pinion 35 on a shaft 36 journaled in the works frame and extending through the rear wall of the case.- The pinion meshes with rack teeth 3'! on the side of the block. A knob 38 on the outer end of shaft 36 has a pointer thereon cooperating with a scale 32 on the rear wall of the case (see Fig. 5) whereby the stop block 32 may be set for the desired marginal time, i. e., ten, fifteen, twenty minutes, a half-hour or even longer. The teeth 2! of rack have downwardly sloping upper faces whereby they will slip past the teeth of pinion id in case block 32 is adjusted upwardly after pulling out the rod 28, instead of before, when setting the clock at night. In setting the clock, after adjusting the alarm set, the shut-off pin 15 should be pulled up first by button 18, the rod 28 pulled out and finally the block 32 adjusted by knob 38.

The only modification of ordinary alarm-clock construction required by my invention, in addition to the parts described above'is a lengthening of the slot in the cylindrical cam of the conventional alarm-tripping mechanism so that the period during which oscillation of the hammer is permitted thereby is longer than the maximum marginal time for which the second alarm may be set to ring, in accordance with my invention.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that the invention provides a simple, inexpensive yet effective means for causing a second ringingof an alarm clock in case the user desires to sleep a little longer after being awakened by the first ringing. Looked at another way, it provides repeated alarms for a sleeper whoprefers to be awakened in successive stages, by requiring 'a response and a manual operation after each alarm.

Although I have illustrated and described only a preferred embodiment, it will be understood that changes in the construction disclosed may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

,1 claim: I

'1. In. an alarm clock having a case, a frame, a minute-hand shaft journaled therein, a pinion on said shaft, a hammer pivoted in the frame and a shut-off pin slidable in the case, the com; bination therewith of a rack slidable on the frame, said rack being pivoted to said pin and thereby tiltable as well as slidable on the frame, said rack having teeth engageable with said pinion, a push button slidable on said pin and means carried by the push button engaging said rack at a point spaced from its pivotal. axis whereby force applied to said push button first tilts the rack to clear the pinion and then moves the rack alongside the pinion.

2. The apparatus defined by claim 1 characterized by said rack having a finger disposedat an angle to the remainder thereof, said means being adaptedto engage said finger.

3. The apparatus defined by claim 1 characterized by a spring tending to tilt said rack into engagement with said pinion.

4. The apparatus defined by claim 1 characterized by spring means between said pin and said push button permitting limited lost motion therebetween.

5. The apparatus defined by claim 1 characterized by manually operable means for tilting said rack 'out of engagement" with said pinion.

6. The apparatus defined by claim 1 charac- 5 6 terized by a frictiun bushing in said case, said UNITED STATES PATENTS pin being slidable in said bushing. Number Name Date 7. The apparatus defined by claim 1 charac- 990 465 Wachtelhausen Apt 25, 1911 terized by a stop adjustably mounted on said 11201030 Cook 8, 1914 frame in the path of said rack to limit move- 5 ment thereof FOREIGN PATENTS EDWARD L. GORDON. Number Country Date 471,689 France July '7, 1914 REFERENCES CITED 588,559 Germany Nov. 27, 1933 The following references are of record in the 10 511,561 Frame y 1 file of this patent: 

